Midnight Music

Chapter 12

I stepped out onto the stage for the Sing Off, ready to face my opponent. I originally expected it to be Platinum again, until he told me he didn't want to be competing against his partner. As the spotlight followed me to center stage, I looked over to meet my challenger. My heart stopped for a second.

Angel smirked as she tossed her light hair and spoke into her mic. "Let's see who the real star is. I bet your all looks and no talent."

The audience groaned at her words. Don't let her get to you. "Well, I don't know if I would say the same to you, because I don't know about your skills. But, we'll see in a bit, right? What can you sing?"

"I can sing any song. And I'm not going to let you steal everything from me."

So, she's not going to choose one. "I'm sorry you see me that way. But I love music, and I guess I'm pretty good at it. This is who I am," I looked up at the sound room where DJ Moon was watching, waiting for someone to request a song, and winked at him. "So, you can 'Take Me or Leave Me'!"

The young man gave me a thumbs up. Good, he caught it.

"Let's do it!" Angel suddenly almost shouted. Then the song began to play. Her eyes widened a little in panic, but she quickly recovered and put on her game face.

Though the song is actually about 2 lesbian lovers arguing and breaking up, it almost suited this situation. My opponent was rather talented, though I could tell her heart wasn't in the music, but rather the spotlight. She didn't seem to know all the words because she stuttered at least twice during her part, throwing her off-beat. When the song was over, it was clear who the winner was.

Angel glared at me as I curtsied to the audience and turned back to her. "You were good. And I'm sorry you don't like me that much, but it looks like I'm going to here for a while. Better luck next time?" I said softly enough for only her to hear, holding the mic at my side. Might be better to leave this out of the audience's ears.

She looked at my hand, then back at my face, hers turning red as she clenched her fists. Without shaking my hand or saying a word, she pivoted and left the stage in a huff. Oh well. No lost friendship there.

As I returned the mic to a stagehand, he pointed to a door under the staircase. "The owners want to see you in their office."

'Owners'? I nervously walked over to a black door with large golden star painted on. Two names were painted in white inside the star: Carol and Alise. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on it.

"Enter!" a voice sang from inside. I opened the door and stepped into a large room that resembled an office with 2 desks, covered with organized piles of papers, on one side. And on the other, it looked like a dressing room with counters and lightbulb-lined mirrors.

Two women, who couldn't be more different, stood up as I walked in. One was tall and curvy with blonde hair cut short into a stylish bob. The other one was short-probably 5-foot-nothing-petit in almost every other way possible and her long brown hair fell down her back. She adjusted her glasses and looked up at me.

"Ah, the lovely Iris! Bravo!" she suddenly started clapping.

"You are simply amazing!" the other cheered, applauding with her companion.

"Um, thank you. May I ask what you wanted to see me for?" I closed the door behind me and approached the desks.

"Of course. I'm Carol," the short one reached her hand across the desk to shake mine. "And this is my partner, Alise. We're the owners of the Masked Muse."